"More than a place, the Shady Dell was and will forever remain a state of mind." - Shady Del Knight

Saturday, November 28, 2009

In 1972 a crack Dell Rat unit was sent to prison by the Unific Court of Love for a crime they didn't commit..... (Death by Disco).

These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the York, PA underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of soul and revivers of rock ‘n roll.

If you have a problem (with hip hop divas and gangsta rap)...

if no one else can help...

and if you can find them...

maybe you can hire...

the D-Team!

I pity the fool who don't like these songs!

"Everybody" - Tommy Roe (November 1963)

In the fall of 1963, Tommy Roe's ABC single "Everybody" became a solid national hit, finishing #3 in the land.

"Come On" - Tommy Roe (February 1964)

Tommy's next single release, "Come On," sounded a lot like "Everybody."

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that derivative, for lack of a better word, is good (sometimes).

Following up a hit record with the release of a sound-alike was and is a common practice, one that makes good business sense. In their attempt to capitalize on a winning formula, however, Tommy Roe and his handlers forgot to factor in the Beatles. Released at the start of 1964, "Come On" should have been another top 5 smash for Tommy. Instead, it got lost in the shuffle as songs by the Beatles and other English acts clustered around the top of the charts. "Come On," a song that I now like even more than "Everybody," wound up its chart run at the lower end of the top 40.

"Wrapped, Tied and Tangled" LaVern Baker(late 1960s, unreleased)

She was Young and Restless...Bold and Beautiful...Brash and Sassy...

Sultry, seductive soul sister LaVern Baker is best known for her string of fine R&B recordings on Atlantic.

In recent years, I discovered a lost treasure that LaVern recorded later in her career on Brunswick, Chicago's legendary soul label.

Feast your ears on a genuine gem of northern soul.

It's a power packed late 60's track called"Wrapped, Tied, and Tangled."

"Younger Girl" - Critters (July 1966)

As the summer of 1966 was getting underway the Critters, a group of Jersey boys who got the inspiration for their name from the Animals, had their first single on the chart. The Critters version of the John Sebastian song "Younger Girl" stopped just short of the Billboard top 40, but established the guys as a sunshine pop group with hit making potential.

"Mr. Dieingly Sad" - Critters (September 1966)

During the late summer, the Critters were back on the chart with their follow-up single "Mr. Dieingly Sad." This one proved to be a better chart performer for the Kapp label recording artists, breaking the top 20. Listen now and feel the flower power!

"This Can't Be True" - Eddie Holman (February 1966)

"Clean living." That's what Eddie Holman recently offered as an explanation when asked how he has managed to stay in such great shape and great voice all these years. His was one of the finest vocal instruments in all of pop music. Eddie Holman helped create the ultra cool Philadelphia soul sound that started in the 60s and flourished during the 70s. His biggest hit was "Hey There Lonely Girl" a 1970 answer to the 1963 recording "Hey There Lonely Boy" by Ruby & the Romantics. My Pick to Click for Eddie Holman is his first hit record, "This Can't Be True," a sensational ballad that knocks me out in seconds flat!

"That's Life (That's Tough) - Gabriel & the Angels(December 1962)

Here's another great Swan song. Swan, a Philadelphia-based record label distributed by Cameo-Parkway, offered 45rpm releases with maximum appeal for teenagers. Swan was home to Freddy Cannon and Mickey Lee Lane, artists recently featured on this blog. Some Swan singles were released with the words "don't drop out" printed on the label as a public service announcement aimed at the youth market. Arguably the coolest of all Swan releases was "That's Life (That's Tough)" by Gabriel and the Angels.

When Gabriel and the Angels waxed "That's Life," the one-hit-wonder group laid down one of the most unique sounds of the early 60s. A seldom heard lost treasure with a distinctive call-and-response hook, "That's Life (That's Tough)" charted around Christmas 1962 and just missed the Billboard top 50.

What's tough? Life!

What's Life? It's a breakfast cereal made of whole grain oats, introduced in 1961 and distributed by the Quaker Oats Company.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Hard to believe, but life went on at the Dell even when I wasn't around. My recently completed countdown of the 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell covered the 22-month period from December 1965 through September 1967 at which time I left York to attend college. Over the next four years I returned home on Christmas breaks, spring breaks and summer vacations and spent as much time as possible at the Dell catching up with friends and finding out which tunes were popular on the jukebox.

In the coming months I'll be presenting some of the most memorable Dell songs from my college years. Let’s get the ball rollin’ and keep the ball rollin’ with some of the Dell biggies from October and November of 1967.

October 1967

"(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It’s You That I Need” – Temptations

“Don’t Send Me Away” – Temptations

"Keep the Ball Rollin’” – Jay & The Techniques

“Boogaloo Down Broadway” – Fantastic Johnny C

November 1967

"Daydream Believer" – Monkees

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" – Gladys Knight & The Pips

"Piece Of My Heart" – Erma Franklin

"Skinny Legs And All" – Joe Tex

"Honey Chile" – Martha & The Vandellas

It's Christmas 1967 at the Dell in next month's installment of College Years. Don't miss it!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My original collection of 45s started with a Dave Clark Five record. In the spring of 1964 my dad drove me up the interstate to Camp Hill so that we could check out the new discount department store called Korvette’s (E.J. Korvette). The moment we arrived dad made a beeline for the lawn & garden department to price one of those futuristic power lawn mowers. I kid you not. The blades and the wheels turned all by themselves! It was like something straight out of the Jetsons!

I headed for the record department where I picked out the first three 45s of my collection: “Please, Please Me” b/w “From Me To You” by the Beatles, “I Get Around” b/w “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys, and “Do You Love Me” by the Dave Clark Five, an excellent cover that I liked better than the Contours original.

With their big beat sound and distinctive, gravel-voiced lead vocals by the late Mike Smith, The Dave Clark Five were the Beatles’ chief rivals in those early months of the British Invasion.

Although the popularity of the Dave Clark Five was declining by 1966, their release that fall, “Nineteen Days,” became one of my favorite DC5 songs and a big hit at the Dell. With a running time of less than 2-minutes, “Nineteen Days” was unusually short in duration at a time when pop songs were getting longer. Falling just outside the Shady Dell Top 100, “Nineteen Days" is the only Dave Clark Five song to make my Dell hits survey. The record found its way into the jukebox around Halloween and remained a Dell favorite for the rest of the year.

A November to Remember

Terry “Grand Funk Railroad” Knight’s version of “I (Who Have Nothing)” was another one of those tear jerking slow jams that filled the Dell dance floor with cuddling couples several times a night. Granted, Knight’s overwrought, exaggerated dramatic reading sounded corny, but Dell rats didn’t care. We loved that kind of stuff and made “I (Who Have Nothing)” a huge Dell hit from November of 1966 into the winter of 1967. As a result, the song ranks way up there at #31 on the 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell.

I don’t remember hearing it played at the Dell...

...but the flipside of the Lucky Eleven 45, “Numbers,” a genuine 60s nugget in the garage/psych category, also became one of my favorites.

The Kids in Bristol

The Kit Kats were a Philly area bar band whose popularity was confined mainly to southeastern Pennsylvania. They were also huge at the Shady Dell.

The group’s first Jamie single “That’s The Way” b/w “Won’t Find Better Than Me” rocketed to #1 in Lancaster, PA during the summer of 1966 while failing to make a dent in the Billboard chart.

At the Dell, meanwhile, the quartet achieved a gigantic double-sided hit with their next single.

The A side, “Let’s Get Lost On a Country Road,” wound up with a lofty ranking of #26 on my survey of the Dell's Greatest Hits.

The fab flip, ”Find Someone (Who’ll Make You Happy),” was equally popular with the Dell cartel.

Ranked at #66 and played hard and heavy from Thanksgiving till Groundhog Day, "Find Someone" was one of the Dell's most memorable killer bees of the mid 60s.

During the holiday season of 1966 the Kit Kats generated nearly as much buzz at the Dell as the Magnificent Men and the Emperors.

The recordings of the Kit Kats reveal a variety of influences for the group that include doo-wop, soul, folk-rock and classical baroque. Their arrangements and harmonies have been compared to those of the Left Banke, the Four Seasons, the Happenings, the Beach Boys, the Association and the Zombies. Although the cheery “Let’s Get Lost” was the group’s second regional hit, it was also their second miss on a national scale. The song spent Thanksgiving week Bubbling Under at #119 before dropping off the list.

I know what happened!The Kit Kats hurt their chances by choosing a nondescript group name and adopting a wholesome, retro image at a time when fans and critics were starting to reward bands that looked tough and played hard. In 1969, the Kit Kats changed their name to New Hope and finally made the Billboard Hot 100 with an updated recording of “Won’t Find Better Than Me.”

England's DC5, Terry Knight & the Pack from the Motor City, and the Kit Kats, the kids from Bristol, exemplify the mixed bag that kept Dell rats busy in the barn during the autumn of '66 and winter of '67.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I saved some of the best (and one of the worst) for last as we wind up our 7-part salute to Lloyd Thaxton and the songs that I remember being played and performed on his 1960s television show.

(January, February 1966)

“Like a Baby” – Len Barry

The third great Len Barry song that is linked in my mind to Lloyd Thaxton is "Like a Baby." Although every bit as good as "1-2-3"..."Like a Baby" wasn't as big a hit for Len, stopping at #27 on the Hot 100.

Len Barry's work still sounds fresh to this day and his solo tracks are heavy hitters on YouTube!

(February, March 1966)

“The Dedication Song” Freddy Cannon

I had dinner with Freddy Cannon in 1984 following one of his concert appearances. Great guy! With a long string of hits skewed toward the novelty category, Freddy's records were a perfect fit for The Lloyd Thaxton Show.

Here's one of my favorites by Freddy, "The Dedication Song," a rousing roll call that stopped just short of the top 40 in March 1966.

(July, August 1966)

“They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha-haaa” Napoleon XIV

Listen, Marge - they're playing our song!
Who could ever forget (even if they really really tried) the incessant drone of this hellacious hit from the summer of 1966? "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa" by Napoleon XIV is arguably the most annoying record ever made. The maddening magpie saw his numbing novelty number go all the way to #3 on the Billboard chart!

(August 1966)

“Evil Eva” – Newbeats

My 7-part salute to Lloyd Thaxton concludes with another great song that I saw the Newbeats perform on Lloyd's show. The little-known "Evil Eva" is a dynamic rocker and my favorite Newbeats recording; yet in accordance with Shady's Law, the song did not even make a dent in Billboard’s Bubbling Under chart! You're kidding, right?

While other groups were scrambling to adjust to the British invasion by tinkering with their image and their music...

The Newbeats’ string of charting singles ended at the close of the turbulent 1960’s decade with the optimistic "Groovin’ (Out On Life)."

As you can probably tell, the Newbeats are my favorite Lloyd Thaxton-linked recording act, with the fabulous Len Barry running a close second. Barry's "Lip Sync" and the Newbeats' "Evil Eva" are my two Picks to Click for the entire Lloyd Thaxton series. Both songs are beyond cool - and both are undeserving victims of Shady's Law.

On the blog that he authored until his death Lloyd Thaxton wrote: “I’ve always maintained that I really don’t care what anybody says about me, as long as they spell my name right.”

That’s what I liked most about Lloyd. He knew that the business he was in was (and still is) 99% b.s. and he wasn’t afraid to clue us in.

Lloyd never took his show, the music, life, or himself too seriously.

With an ever-present twinkle in his eye and toothy show biz grin that made him look like the cat that ate the canary, Lloyd Thaxton enjoyed getting into mischief for our amusement.

Like clown prince Jerry Lewis....

Lloyd invited the kid inside each of us to come out and play. We eagerly did.

I didn’t know Lloyd personally, but I sense that he believed that life was meant to be fun; and if it’s not, you aren’t doing it right - change it.

Monday, November 9, 2009

As the timeline moves forward through the summer of 1965 it's time to reveal more of the great songs played and presented on The Lloyd Thaxton Show.

(June 1965)

“Little Child” – Newbeats

"Bread and Butter" was their bread and butter, but the Newbeats impressed me more with the string of hits and misses that followed. Presenting "Little Child," another Shady's Law hall of famer. Recorded in June of 1965 and released as a single, "Little Child" is an excellent song that should have been a hit. Instead, it remained uncharted.

(June, July 1965)

“You Turn Me On (Turn on Song)” - Ian Whitcomb

Sounding like a fugitive from When Harry Met Sally, England's Ian Whitcomb gasped all the way to the bank after his song "You Turn Me On" became a top 10 hit in America. I remember Lloyd Thaxton performing one of his patented goofy lip syncs to this record circa June 1965.

(September, October 1965)

“Treat Her Right” – Roy Head

Cross Jerry Lee Lewis with James Brown and what do you get? Roy Head! Head blew my mind (pun intended) when I saw him on the Lloyd Thaxton show lip-syncing to his hit record "Treat Her Right."

I loved how Head abruptly shifted gears in the middle of the performance. He started by calmly dispensing advice to men on how to win a woman’s affection, preaching that the keys to good lovin’ are patience and respect rather than the heavy-handed cave man approach.

Suddenly, without warning, Head’s subdued male sensitivity training ended and he exploded like T-N-T. He shouted, he shook, he shimmied, he swaggered, and he strutted.

With commanding vocals, bold, dynamic stage presence, and gymnastic dance moves that resembled those of Mr. Dynamite, Roy Head proved that he was the real deal!

Talented as he was, Roy Head enjoyed only limited chart success in his career and joined the ranks of one-hit-wonders. Today Roy is acknowledged as one of the best blue-eyed soul singers of the 60s.

(October, November 1965)

"Road Runner" - Gants

The Gants originated in Greenwood, Mississippi, but when I heard WSBA play their Beatlesque recording "Road Runner" for the first time, I swore they were the Liverpoolians. "Road Runner," a novelty tune inspired by the Warner Brothers cartoon character, found its way into Lloyd Thaxton's comedy sketches. The song did fairly well on the Billboard chart, breaking into the top 50. The Mighty 9-10 helped the cause by giving the record moderate to heavy exposure. "Road Runner" is a truly exciting rock ‘n roll performance!

"Road Runner" was a promising start for the Gants yet they remained one-hit-wonders in spite of or perhaps because of their ability to sound like the Beatles.

(October thru December 1965)

"1-2-3" - Len Barry

Len Barry's biggest solo hit was also a favorite with the Lloyd Thaxton crowd. "1-2-3" went top 5 nationally in the fall of 1965 and enjoyed a powerful 15 week run on the Billboard Hot 100.

(October, November 1965)

“Run, Baby Run” Newbeats

The Newbeats were studio guests on The Lloyd Thaxton Show in October 1965. Larry's lads performed a lip sync to their latest hit, "Run, Baby Run" a song that climbed to #12 and enjoyed an impressive 13 week stay on the Billboard chart.

You've come this far. Please join me next time for the conclusion of my 7-part tribute to Lloyd Thaxton.

The Rodentia Intelligentsia

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"You had to be there!"

“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).

THE SHADY DELL

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History

What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.

At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.

The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.

Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.

SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight

I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.

To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?

'JACKS'

AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!

THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA

STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!

Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell

Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.

As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?

At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?

"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."

We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.

As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!

I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill

My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!

“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.

Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!

Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.

Of Rats and Men

Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.

Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!

A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!

I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!

Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.

One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?

In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.

Helen & John Ettline

Shady Dell Owners

Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop

Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.

Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.

Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.

The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!

Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.

Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.

Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.

THE FIVE KEYS

"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1

Del-Chords & Magnificent Men

Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.

Magnificent Men

HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!

The Emperors of Harrisburg

Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.

THE EMPERORS

DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!

End of an Era

Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.

My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.

After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.

That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.

John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.

(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)

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